How feng shui shaped Hong Kong's skyline

Hong Kong’s superstitious skyline.

Hong Kong’s famous skyline is known for its colorful lights and modern buildings, but a closer look reveals some unique designs inspired by feng shui. Like the gaping holes in the middle of buildings to let dragons fly through or cannon-like structures installed to deflect bad “qi” (pronounced chi).

The main belief in feng shui is that destiny is bound to the environment, so good fortune and harmony can be invited in and bad energy can be warded off by arranging objects and buildings around us. It's an ancient Chinese practice that has come to define Hong Kong's skyline.

In this episode of Borders, we explore feng shui principles, explain the circumstances that allowed it to flourish in Hong Kong and take a look at the unique designs around the city.

[Vox]

We should clarify that while construction firms have specifically cited feng shui as a motive for putting holes in their buildings, the unique design also has other purposes other than superstition, including heat ventilation and city code compliance. Feng shui is not always a factor in these design decisions but we did hope to show that the belief system has influenced architectural decisions in Hong Kong.

[Xsitn]

A bank has cannons literally pointing at a competitors bank lol

[zuhairahmedsyed]

Everybody gangsta till the dragon collides with their building.

[ArchOfWinter]

Superstitions aside, having large holes in tall buildings is actually very good for the surrounding area. It let the air flows and help keeps air from getting stagnate, a heat island effect, to a certain extend. Many older districts has buildings that act like a giant wall to maximize floor space, but it alos keeps hot air trapped in surrounding areas.

[KingScorpio]

these dragon gates will come in handy in the age of flying cars

[markusliu]

As a Hongkonger I can tell you, rather than Feng Shui, the better ventilation provided so as to reduce the heat island effect, lower the temperature and improve air quality, is the bigger reason why these holes are designed

[holamcheng]

This explanation is amusing but not very accurate. I work in an engineering consultant in Hong Kong. For skyscraper projects like these (residential or commercial), there’re a whole lot of requirements in design for architects and engineers to follow.
E.g. a vacant, unoccupied level has to be inserted in the middle of the building for the sake of fire insulation as stated in the buildings ordinance (this explains why there’s a gap floor in some skyscrapers);
the ratio of “green roof top garden area” for the public to sellable floor area has to meet a certain value as stated on the land lease (this is why there’s a hole for greens in some skyscrapers);
For buildings above certain heights or density, the design has to be adjusted to ensure ventilation/air circulation in the city is not disrupted, so as to prevent heat island effect (a good way to do this is to leave a “hole” in the buidling)
The explanation about Fengshui is not entirely wrong, but its much more complicated than that, huh

[zedek_]

Regardless of feng shui being a superstition, the city just looks beautiful.

[ardiilhamfalah]

How do you compete with other companies?

A: just make good products
HSBC: "shoot" their building

[foreveryeung]

I'm from HK and was always told the holes were for better ventilation and to let light come through, since in older parts of HK where the buildings are close together and don't have holes, the air was really stagnant and the bottom floors were super dark. The feng shui thing is cool though!

[BobMcCoy]

*Can't the dragons just fly **_over_** the buildings?!*

[OurFoundingLiars]

This video helped me confirm that dragons were the ones the brought down the twin towers. Keep asking questions

[moramento]

And I thought it was some kind of a serious architectural reason, like the wind passing through or something...

[yurusan]

The holes also serves the purpose of ventilation. Land is extremely expensive in Hong Kong, so many buildings in the city centre, even the residential ones, are often taller than 80 storeys. These holes are designed to channel air so that the heat island effect and air pollution can be alleviated.

[aikonoklas]

Super ironic that during the time of the cultural revolution, the motherland china discarded feng shui, an ancient chinese belief, but British-ruled HK strongly preserved it

[MichaelJayValueInvesting]

So thoughtful! I am sure the dragons appreciate this.

[ArchOfWinter]

The HSBC building also has no tall building blocking the water view, thus, keeping the wealth flowing and assets liquid. This status/view is literally set in stone. The HSBC and the HK government has an agreement that no tall building will ever be built in front of the HSBC building.

[paksjournal]

Those holes in buildings are for air ventilation and preventing heat trap in the city.
I am from HK and have never heard of those are for dragons.
(But we have many other feng shui related architectural designs.)

[jimmychan]

4:20 that building which you said "people freak out because they look like smoking cigarette", that's not why people dislike it. People dislike it because it looks like a incense which Chinese use to worship the dead. We really really really don't like anything related to death (in fact we don't have 4th floor because four sounded like "dead" in Cantonese. We skip the 4th floor and name it "5th floor", so does 14th, 24th, 34th... and so on)

[rat_datboi]

"Who stabbed this man!?" .... "The evil building did it."